JW USA: Grant Medical Center, Nationwide Children’s offer bloodless surgery to Jehovah’s Witnesses

[Isabella]

Cheryl Pitts was having trouble breathing, could barely walk and her skin was turning gray. She needed heart surgery, but her choice of hospitals was limited.

A Jehovah’s Witness, Pitts couldn’t accept a blood transfusions or other treatment with blood products because of her religious beliefs.

In need of a bloodless surgery, the 64-year-old Portsmouth woman decided to go to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center — one of seven Ohio hospitals that offer blood alternative solutions to adults.

“I just can’t handle the thought of having to take blood,” Pitts said. “Even before I became a Jehovah’s Witness, I would not take blood.”

She didn’t trust receiving blood because of the possible complications that come with blood transfusions.

Blood transfusions replace blood that is lost through surgery or injury or if a person’s body is not making blood properly. Though generally considered safe, there is some risk of complications and allergic reactions, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In central Ohio, only Grant Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital have a blood conservation program that uses methods to limit blood loss during surgery and provides blood alternatives to people who don’t want to do transfusions for religious reasons or safety concerns.

Read more: https://www.record-courier.com/news/20200120/grant-medical-center-nationwide-childrens-offer-bloodless-surgery-to-jehovahs-witnesses